Astonished--not so much at the marriage, as at the secrecy with which
it had been concluded, and the agitation with which it was announced,
Emily, at length, attributed the privacy to the wish of Montoni, rather
than of her aunt. His wife, however, intended, that the contrary should
be believed, and therefore added, 'you see I wished to avoid a bustle;
but now the ceremony is over I shall do so no longer; and I wish to
announce to my servants that they must receive the Signor Montoni for
their master.' Emily made a feeble attempt to congratulate her on these
apparently imprudent nuptials. 'I shall now celebrate my marriage with
some splendour,' continued Madame Montoni, 'and to save time I shall
avail myself of the preparation that has been made for yours, which
will, of course, be delayed a little while. Such of your wedding clothes
as are ready I shall expect you will appear in, to do honour to this
festival. I also wish you to inform Monsieur Valancourt, that I have
changed my name, and he will acquaint Madame Clairval. In a few days
I shall give a grand entertainment, at which I shall request their
presence.'
Emily was so lost in surprise and various thought, that she made Madame
Montoni scarcely any reply, but, at her desire, she returned to inform
Valancourt of what had passed. Surprise was not his predominant emotion
on hearing of these hasty nuptials; and, when he learned, that they were
to be the means of delaying his own, and that the very ornaments of the
chateau, which had been prepared to grace the nuptial day of his Emily,
were to be degraded to the celebration of Madame Montoni's, grief and
indignation agitated him alternately. He could conceal neither from the
observation of Emily, whose efforts to abstract him from these serious
emotions, and to laugh at the apprehensive considerations, that assailed
him, were ineffectual; and, when, at length, he took leave, there was an
earnest tenderness in his manner, that extremely affected her; she even
shed tears, when he disappeared at the end of the terrace, yet knew not
exactly why she should do so.
Montoni now took possession of the chateau, and the command of its
inhabitants, with the ease of a man, who had long considered it to be
his own. His friend Cavigni, who had been extremely serviceable,
in having paid Madame Cheron the attention and flattery, which she
required, but from which Montoni too often revolted, had apartments
assigned to him, and received from the domestics an equal degree of
obedience with the master of the mansion.